Jono Harris's audio production skills make Tenterfield sound good

Singer Christine Davis listens to her playback after a professional recording session at Tenterfield Cinema with father-and-son team Peter and Jono Harris.

The weekend’s successful Live & Local micro musical festival turned into a family affair behind the scenes when organiser Peter Harris roped in son Jono for his sound technical expertise.

Harris Junior mixed the live performances in Bruxner Park and at the cinema during the Folk & Celtic Fusion Vidfest. In the lead-up to the Live & Local weekend, however, he spent several days doing live recordings of local performers.

There professional recordings will now not only augment Tenterfield’s Live & Local database of talent but will be a valuable addition to the artist’s portfolio as they seek performing opportunities.

Jono has almost come full circle from his Tabulam roots, geographically at least. He considers his current employment in Brisbane with Nightlife Music, an entertainment provider, as his ‘dream job’, but yearns for a permanent move back to the country, and Tenterfield is close enough to home.

His schooling was a mixture of correspondence (handy having two teachers as parents), regular schooling when the family was posted to Mildura for a few years in the late 80’s, completing his primary schooling in Lismore and then undertaking high school in Byron Bay.

With his father’s history in the music industry he said he was exposed to all genres of music.

“I’ve heard it all,” he said.

“Dad’s multi-talented and can play everything and I was exposed to that. Then Mum (Judy) is an artist.

“I guess I’ve continued that trend.”

Migration into the music scene was natural and he started off as a singer and then drummer with a blues band doing covers, before joining another band doing original blues music, again as a drummer.

He then moved into audio production, a fate that seems to attract a disproportionate amount of drummers, he said. He has also continued the teaching theme, tutoring others in drums and audio production.

His career move is certainly to the Tenterfield’s advantage, with Jono even stocking up on some new gear for his Live & Local gig.

He’d love to move back here eventually, although at the moment Brisbane holds the attraction of a stable income in his field of choice. He said he still feels like a tourist there, despite living in Queensland for a decade.

The industry make be bigger in Sydney, but it’s not for him.

“I’m not really a Sydney person,” he said.

“It’s too expensive.”

Tenterfield beckons, so we may be enjoying more of Jono’s technical expertise in the future as he comes down for visits.